Middle school math students are underperforming on teacher-created assessments and assignments, state assessments, and nationally normed assessments, such as the Measures of Academic Performance (MAP) and the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP). Only 35.7% of sixth graders in South Carolina scored "meets or exceeds…

This study focuses on a problem of practice at George County Middle School, a 6-8 middle school located in central Kentucky. The achievement gap between English Language learners and non-english language learners continues to grow wider as students' progress through their educational career. As a result, English learners are being…

The student population throughout the United States has shifted; thus, it is essential to consider ways to address the needs of culturally, linguistically diverse (CLD) students. Prior research found that culturally relevant teaching (CRT) improves academic performance. However, little quantitative research examines the relationship between CRT…

A flipped classroom strategy is a teaching and learning strategy that had showed an increase in interest among educators from post-secondary to elementary educators. Flipped classrooms integrate technology as a resource where students can access lessons outside of the classroom. Instructional materials such as videos and podcasts are created,…

The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in the academic growth in mathematics and reading for elementary Spanish-speaking English language learners, in relation to teacher certification and training in teaching English as a second language (ESL). The study was conducted in a Midwestern urban public elementary charter school. A…

We examined the degree to which assessment of teachers' instructional and behavior management practices, as measured by the Classroom Strategies Assessment System (CSAS; Reddy & Dudek, 2014), relates to gains in student achievement as measured by the Measures of Academic Progress (Northwest Evaluation Association [NWEA], 2011). Two-level…

Background: Students vary in their initial achievement when they enter school and their rate of academic growth as they move through school. These differences have implications for classroom instruction and educational policy. Although previous research has examined initial achievement and growth differences, a gap remains in understanding how…

The mathematics achievement of seventh grade general education students placed in an inclusive setting with students in need of special education services was compared to the mathematics achievement of seventh grade general education students placed in a classroom without students in need of special education services. Participants included…

The Charlotte Bilingual Preschool (CltBP), situated in the 17th largest urban area of the US, has found itself at the intersection of its community's agendas to provide high quality preschool services to Spanish-speaking families, improve opportunities for upward mobility, and foster literacy gains for children from birth through third grade. This…

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the education of students in Illinois and around the nation. Leaders at the Illinois State Board of Education and in Illinois public school districts want to better understand how student learning changed during the pandemic. This study examines data from 17 Illinois districts over five years, including four years…

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of implementing a unique and systematized version of curriculum planning and documenting across all levels of a Pre-K-Grade 12, US-curriculum, and international school in the Dominican Republic. Based on the Backwards by Design philosophy, cemented with a standards-based approach highlighting…

From the time they begin school, relationships with teachers are the foundation upon which children build their identities as students. Those relationships can either facilitate or impede learning. This is even more salient for students who struggle to meet grade level expectations and master academic demands. This study explored how elementary…

This study identified the impact of elementary teachers' perceptions and the change that data-driven instruction had on student achievement on the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessment in English language arts and mathematics in an urban elementary charter school. The researcher secured an inner-city charter school in Tennessee to…

The purpose of the present study was to gather summative and formative data related to the implementation of Zearn Math during the first year of a two-year study. The sample included students in a large urban school district comprised of predominantly African American (58%) and Hispanic (28%) students. Roughly 90% of students are economically…

This study describes a strengths-based blended personalized learning model, the implementation of the model over a 4-year period, and the results of an impact study focused on measuring its effectiveness. The model includes many commonly-used features of personalized learning, including (a) competency-based progressions, (b) flexible learning…